The Tanintharyi long-tailed monkey, a species long assumed to be extinct, has recently been discovered in Myanmar, according to Maung Maung Pyone, the secretary of the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association.

Speaking to Mizzima, he said that the discovery was made by members of Fauna & Flora International, an international NGO, who came to Myanmar four months ago in an attempt to verify and trace whether the long-tailed monkey was in fact alive and surviving in the jungles of Myanmar.

“We found what we thought was the Tanintharyi Lunkuger some months ago,” he said. “After a series of blood, hair and skin tests we confirmed that it was definitely the Tanintharyi long-tailed monkey.

“We thought they were extinct, but now they’re back! This is a national treasure for Myanmar,” he said.

A project to conserve and protect the Tanintharyi long-tailed monkey is scheduled to be laid out in the near future, he added.